Thickener feed distributor

ABSTRACT

A feedwell comprising a plurality of holes disposed in a bottom thereof, at least some of the holes having a tube disposed thereabout which extends downward or otherwise away from an interior of the feedwell. Optionally, a large center hole can be provided and it can have a tube disposed around it. By providing a plurality of holes spread across a large portion of the bottom of the feedwell, lower velocity flow rates from the feedwell to a sedimentation chamber can be provided, thus reducing induced turbulence in the fluid within the sedimentation chamber, while still providing sufficient separation of the feedwell from the sedimentation chamber so that the contents of the feedwell can be properly and adequately mixed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/965,599, entitled “Thickener Feed Distributor”, filed on Apr. 27,2018, which itself is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/074,410, entitled “Thickener Feed Distributor”, filed on Mar. 18,2016, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,981,209 on May 29, 2018, which itselfclaims priority to and the benefit of the filing of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/135,497, entitled “Thickener FeedDistributor”, filed on Mar. 19, 2015, and the specifications and claimsthereof are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention (Technical Field)

Embodiments of the present invention relate to feedwells for mineralprocessing plant thickeners and clarifiers. More particularly,embodiments of the present invention relate to feedwells having aplurality of openings disposed on a lower portion thereof for moreuniform distribution of fluids from the feedwell into fluids disposed ina sedimentation chamber (also known as a thickener tank) disposed therebelow.

Description of Related Art

Note that the following discussion refers to a number of publications byauthor(s) and year of publication, and that due to recent publicationdates certain publications are not to be considered as prior artvis-a-vis the present invention. Discussion of such publications hereinis given for more complete background and is not to be construed as anadmission that such publications are prior art for patentabilitydetermination purposes.

For a feedwell to provide desirable results, it must permit componentsto be mixed and retained therein and thus have rather substantial andappropriate fluid kinetics. However, the feedwell should also isolate,to the greatest extent possible, such fluid kinetics from the contentsof the sedimentation chamber, while still permitting a sufficient fluidflow rate from the feedwell to the sedimentation tank to accomplish adesired overall feed flow rate.

A typical feedwell is shown and described in U.S. Patent Pub. No.2011/0079563 (the '563 application), having a single, large outlet asshown in the figures thereof (reference numeral 8). Such feedwells arecommon and have the characteristic downside of forcing all contents ofthe feedwell to escape through a single large opening in the bottom.Such a configuration enhances turbulence and creates undesirable flowpatterns within the upper portion of the sedimentation chamber withinwhich it is disposed. Although the '563 application seeks to reduce suchturbulence by disposing a plurality of fins into the single largeopening, such fins themselves disturb the flow of the exiting fluid,thus enhancing the turbulence induced within the sedimentation chamber,which is an undesirable characteristic.

Some inventions, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,591,946 toTaylor, seek to minimize the induced turbulence by forcibly mixing thecontents of its feedwell in a lower portion thereof and forcing thecontents of the feedwell to escape therefrom at an upper opening througha Bundt pan shape. By forcing the discharge of the feedwell to beconcentrated near a central bottom portion of the feedwell, the flowrate of the discharge is thus comparatively larger than would occur ifTaylor instead spread the discharge of the feedwell out over a muchlarger area.

Like other known feedwell designs, U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/633,527 to Lake et al. also describes a feedwell with a single largeopening disposed in its lower portion. Thus, this invention also suffersfrom the same undesirable turbulence and flow patterns that are inducedin the sedimentation chamber as the other known systems.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/745,891 to McElvenny also disclosesa feedwell with a single large opening on its bottom. The apparatusdisclosed in this application, however, attempts to mitigate thedisturbance to the liquid in the sedimentation chamber by placing aconical plate directly below the outlet of the feedwell so as to spreadout the flow of fluid exiting the feedwell into a larger ring-shape.However, even this proposed solution does not distribute the outflow ofthe feedwell over a significant area, because the very plate itselfblocks a significant area below the flow in which some of the outflowcould travel.

Other systems have also been developed which seek to make the outflow ofthe feedwell more uniform by incorporating a flow-shaping zone near thesingle large outlet of the feedwell. However, the result is stillsubstantially the same—the entire outflow of the feedwell isconcentrated in a single entry point in the sedimentation chamber, thusinducing turbulence in the contents of the sedimentation chamber.

There is thus a present need for a method and apparatus which provides afeedwell that distributes the outflow of the feedwell into thesedimentation chamber over a vastly large area so as to minimizeturbulence in the contents of the sedimentation chamber.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a feedwell having afeed inlet, a sidewall, a bottom, at least three holes disposed in thebottom of the feedwell, and a tube disposed around at least one of theholes and projecting down or otherwise away from an interior of thefeedwell. Optionally, at least a majority of the holes each comprise acorresponding tube. One or more of the tubes can have a length which isgreater than at least one half of the diameter of the corresponding holeabout which or within which it is disposed. The feedwell can have atleast 12 holes and optionally at least 36 holes disposed in its bottom.In one embodiment, the hole size can be several times the diameter of anexpected floccule, thus permitting floccules to pass through the holeswithout being broken down. The feedwell can also include an inlet and/orat least one opening in its sidewall. Optionally, a plurality ofopenings can be disposed in a sidewall of the feedwell. The openings canbe disposed in an upper half of the sidewall.

In one embodiment, the feedwell can comprise a comparatively largeopening in the center of the bottom of the feedwell. Optionally, thecentral opening can comprise a cross-sectional area that is two or moretimes larger than a cross-sectional area of one of the other holesdisposed in the bottom of the feedwell.

An embodiment of the present invention also relates to a feedwell havinga sidewall, a bottom, a first opening in the bottom, a plurality ofsecond openings in the bottom, each of the plurality of second openingshaving a cross-sectional area which is less than one-half of across-sectional area of said first opening; and at least some of thesecond openings comprising a corresponding tube disposed around theopenings which projects down or away from an interior of the feedwell.Optionally, the feedwell can have a bottom that is downwardly-dependingand cone-shaped. A velocity and/or a flow rate regulator 40 can becommunicably coupled to one or more of the holes.

An embodiment of the present invention also relates to a method fordispensing contents of a feedwell into a sedimentation chamber whichincludes passing the contents from within the feedwell through aplurality of openings disposed in a bottom of the feedwell, wherein theplurality of openings number at least six openings. The method can alsoinclude guiding at least some of the contents from within the feedwellto a location within the sedimentation chamber by directing them throughone or more tubes disposed around at least some of the openings.Optionally, at least three openings can be disposed in the bottom of thefeedwell. Preferably, the openings and tubes are consistent in designradially.

Embodiments of the feedwell of the present invention permit deaeration,mixing at the right energy level, flocculation, and solids contacttherein. The holes allow the feed to be evenly distributed into asedimentation chamber in a controlled manner with little turbulence.Feedwells according to embodiments of the present invention maintainretention required for optimal mixing. The tubes connected to the holesin the bottom of the feedwell allows for instantaneous recovery of theliquid via the open channels which can be created with an off-setpattern in the layout. The liquid can be recovered very close to thefeedwell underside, thereby shortcutting the typical scenario which isnormally only achieved lower in the thickener. This process in knownsystems is often hindered by settling solids, rise rates, and otherdynamics within the thickener proper.

Objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope ofapplicability of the present invention will be set forth in part in thedetailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilledin the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned bypractice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the inventionmay be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities andcombinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a partof the specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the presentinvention and, together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention. The drawings are only for the purpose ofillustrating one or more preferred embodiments of the invention and arenot to be construed as limiting the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevated side-view drawing which illustrates a feedwellaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a drawing which illustrates an underside of a feedwellaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side-view drawing of a feedwell according to an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a top-view drawing of a feedwell according to an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are elevated side-view drawings which illustrate afeedwell according to an embodiment of the present invention disposedwithin a sedimentation chamber,

FIG. 7 is a section-view/cutaway drawing which illustrates a feedwellaccording to an embodiment of the present invention disposed in asedimentation chamber;

FIG. 8 is a side-view drawing of a feedwell illustrating the modularbottom floor construction according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B are side-view drawings which illustrate anembodiment of the present invention wherein a fluid-flow modificationstructure is disposed below the feedwell;

FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B are cut-away drawings which illustrate anembodiment wherein a vertical tube passes through the feedwell andwherein a fluid-flow modification structure is disposed on the lower endof the vertical tube; and

FIG. 11 is a cut-away side-view drawing which illustrates an embodimentwherein a vertical tube passes through the feedwell and wherein thebottom of the feedwell has an upwardly-projecting conical shape.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a feedwell for athickener or clarifier, also generally referred to as a “thickener feeddistributor.” The thickeners and clarifiers, used in mineral processingplants, rely on compartments or “feedwells” located at an upper centerportion of a sedimentation chamber. The purpose of such feedwells is todeaerate the feed; permit introduction and mixing of slurries,flocculant, dilution water, or materials to a homogenous state; promoterapid flocculant/particle aggregate formation; capture fine and coarseparticles into flocculant/particle aggregate formation through mixing atthe right energy levels; prevent break-down of such flocculant/particleaggregates through excessive energy levels; and then simultaneouslyallow such materials to enter the sedimentation chamber with as littleturbulence as possible after having been mixed so as to avoid agitatingthe sedimentation process. Fluid flow plays a major role in thesesedimentation units and their successful operation depends, to a largeextent, on having a feedwell correctly designed for the particularapplication.

Referring now to the drawings, feedwell 10 preferably comprises sidewall12 and bottom 14. Bottom 14 preferably comprises a plurality of holes16. Holes 16 preferably comprise tubes 18 disposed around holes 16.Tubes 18 are preferably disposed on the outside portion of feedwell 10and thus extend away from an interior of feedwell 10. Holes and tubesare preferably radially consistent in pattern or design. An embodimentof the present invention also relates to a method and apparatus forcontrolling and/or regulating the flow rate and/or exit velocity of thecontents of feedwell 10 through holes 16 in bottom 14 of feedwell 10.This can be achieved by a self-regulating or adjustable valve, a one wayvalve, one directional flap, a port, a diaphragm, combinations thereof,and the like, which can be incorporated into and/or attached to one ormore of holes 16 and/or tubes 18 of feedwell 10. In one embodiment,feedwell 10 comprises a generally circular shape. In an alternativeembodiment, feedwell 10 does not comprise a generally circular shape.

In one embodiment, in addition to a plurality of holes 16, a large hole20 is preferably disposed in a central portion of bottom 14 of feedwell10. Hole 20 also preferably has tube 22 disposed around it and tube 22also is preferably disposed on an outside portion of feedwell 10 andthus extends away from an interior of feedwell 10. Although a preferredembodiment provides feedwell 10 having a generally cylindrical shape,feedwell 10 need not be limited only to generally cylindrical shapes andcan comprise any shape which permits materials to be mixed or clarified,including but not limited to rectangular, square and other shapes.

Although holes 16 can comprise any shape, including but not limited totriangular, square, rectangular, oval, etc., in a preferred embodiment,holes 16 are most preferably circular in shape. For embodiments in whichnon-circular shaped holes 16 are provided, tubes 18 preferably comprisea similar shape to non-circular holes 16. Optionally, holes 16 need notall be the same shape and size. For example, some of holes 16 can belarge squares, small squares, large rectangles, small rectangles, largetriangles, small triangles, large circles and small circles. Optionally,the shapes and/or sizes of holes 16 can progressively change as theyapproach the center of bottom 14 or they can be interspersed in patternsor randomly. For example, in one embodiment, the holes nearest sidewall12 can comprise a diameter which is smaller than those which are nearthe center of bottom 14. Although the number and spacing of holes 16 canbe varied to provide specific results for a particular application andfor different sizes of feedwells, in one embodiment, there are at leastthree holes 16, at least 6 holes 16, at least 12 holes 16, at least 24holes 16, at least 32 holes 16, at least 36 holes 16, or at least 60holes 16.

In one embodiment, bottom 14 of feedwell 10 can be flat or at leastsubstantially flat. However, in a preferred embodiment, at least aportion of bottom 14 comprises a concave or conical shape, such as thatillustrated in the figures. Optionally, a portion of bottom 14 nearestsidewall 12 can be flat while the rest of bottom 14 can have a concaveshape (see for example FIGS. 1 and 2). If the feed to the feedwell istangential to a nearest sidewall, a flat portion of the bottom of thefeed inlet nearest the sidewall is preferably proportional in width tothe feed flow rate. In one embodiment, the flat portion of the feedwellis preferably below the bottom of the feed inlet by approximately thefeed inlet height.

Tubes 18 can optionally comprise a length which is uniform to each ofholes 16. Optionally, however, some of tubes 18 can have a length whichis longer or shorter than other tubes 18. For example, in oneembodiment, tubes 18 of holes 16 nearest sidewall 12 can have a lengthwhich is short in relation to tubes 18 of holes 16 which are nearest thecenter of bottom 14. Optionally, the length of tubes 18 can be varied ina consistent manner—for example, the tubes nearest sidewall 12 can belong and each tube nearer to a center of bottom 14 can be progressivelylarger such that tubes 18 nearest the bottom are longer than tubes 18which are nearest sidewall 12 (or vice-versa). Alternatively, the lengthof tubes 18 can be varied in some predetermined pattern or can be variedrandomly. In one embodiment, wherein feedwell 10 comprises holes 16 withvarying diameters, the length of tubes 18 can also vary as theirdiameters vary—optionally, the length of a tube 18 can relate directlyto the diameter of its accompanying hole 16. In one embodiment, thelength of a tube is preferably at least half of the diameter of itsaccompanying hole. For example, if a first hole 16 is small and a secondhole 16 is large, the length of the tube on the small first hole can beshort and the length of the tube on the large second hole can be long.Optionally, tubes 18 can be connected to bottom 14 such that theyproject down or otherwise away from an interior of feedwell 10 in adesired and predetermined direction. For example, in one embodiment,wherein feedwell 10 comprises a flat bottom, tubes 18 nearest sidewall12 can have their proximal end cut at an angle, such as for example 45degrees. This outer ring of tubes can be oriented such that they projectdown or otherwise away from a center of bottom 14 at a 45 degree angle,and a row of tubes 18 further away from sidewall 12 can have theirproximal ends cut at some other angle, for example, 30 degrees, etc. Insuch a configuration, the outer-most tubes 18 can be directed in adirection different from that of other tubes. Of course, these aremerely illustrative examples that one or more of tubes 18 can be made topoint in a different direction than other tubes 18. In one embodiment,tubes 18 can be arranged in a radially consistent pattern.

Optionally, all or some of tubes 18 can be made long and can compriseone or more bends. For example, in one embodiment, tubes 18 nearestsidewall 12 can comprise a bend and can be extended such that theyproject radially just below sidewall 12. Further, providing tubes 18connected to one or more of holes 16 permit a user to design aspecific-purpose feedwell system which permits fluids to exit feedwell10 and be piped directly to any desired location within a sedimentationchamber. In one embodiment, the hole and tube arrangement is preferablyradially consistent in pattern for a round sedimentation chamber.

In one embodiment, tubes 18 can connect to bottom 14 via a removableconnection. For example, tubes 18 can screw onto short nipples or otherfittings such that a user can selectively connect tubes of differentlengths, shapes, and/or sizes about any of holes 16. Optionally,placement, size, and/or shape of holes 16 can be determined based oncomputer modeling for a particular application. In one embodiment, eachof holes 16 comprise a corresponding tube 18. In an alternativeembodiment, a majority of holes 16 comprise a corresponding tube 18. Inyet a further embodiment, only one or some of holes 16 comprise acorresponding tube 18. In an alternative embodiment, none of holes 16comprise a corresponding tube 18.

In one embodiment, central hole 20 can be significantly larger than anyof holes 16. Alternatively, however, hole 20 can be slightly larger, thesame size as, or even smaller than any of holes 16. In a furtherembodiment, hole 20 and/or tube 22 are not provided. Tube 22 can havethe same length as tubes 18 or it can be shorter or longer than tubes18. As with tubes 18, tube 22 can also comprise any desired length andcan be shaped in in a number of ways such as concave-shape or cone shapeand can connect to a connector, including but not limited to a nipple,which is attached to bottom 14 of feedwell 10. Optionally tubes 18and/or 22 can comprise one or more structures disposed therein whichpromote a laminar flow therefrom. For example, an array of smallerdiameter tubes can be packed or otherwise formed within tubes 18 and/or22.

Fluid preferably enters feedwell 10 via inlet 24. Optionally, aplurality of inlets 24 can be provided. Inlet 24 is preferablypositioned on sidewall 12 and is most preferably positioned such thatfluid entering feedwell 10 enters tangentially. Alternatively, however,inlet 24 can be disposed such that fluid enters into the open top offeedwell 10. Also, inlet 24 can be positioned such that fluid does notenter tangentially into feedwell 10. In one such embodiment, the feedcan be introduced to feedwell 10 so that a radially inward or outwardflow pattern is created. In a further embodiment, more than one inlet 24can be provided. For example, in one embodiment, a first inlet can beconfigured to force incoming fluid to enter feedwell 10 in acounter-clockwise manner and a second inlet can be configured to alsoenter feedwell 10 in a counter-clockwise manner but at a location on anopposite side of feedwell 10 from the first inlet, thus promotingcirculation. Alternatively, however, in some applications whereincreased turbulence is desired within feedwell 10, the second inlet canbe configured to enter feedwell 10 in a clockwise direction, thusforcing the incoming fluid streams to collide against one another. Liketubes 18 and 22, one or more structures can be disposed or formed withininlet 24 which promote a laminar flow or any other flow pattern desiredfor a particular application.

In one embodiment, sidewall 12 can comprise a solid structure. In analternative embodiment, sidewall 12 is not provided at all. In thisembodiment, bottom 14 can be conical or otherwise downwardly-dependingand inlet 24 can simply enter into the downwardly-depending bottomstructure. In one embodiment, feed dilution can be carried out beforethe introduction of the feed to feedwell 10. In an alternativeembodiment, however, one or more openings 26 (see FIG. 1) can beprovided in sidewall 12, or of the conical or downwardly-dependingstructure, for embodiments which do not comprise a sidewall. Openings 26can comprise any shape or combination of shapes and can be disposed in apredetermined pattern or at random. In a preferred embodiment, however,openings 26 are disposed near an upper edge of sidewall 12, or an upperhalf of sidewall 12, or the conical or downwardly-depending structure,for embodiments which do not comprise a sidewall, such that supernatantor dilution liquid can easily pass into the upper portion of feedwell 10to dilute the contents thereof. In one embodiment, openings 26 arepositioned near a top portion of sidewall 12 at a location which is leftof inlet 24. Optionally, one or more openings 26 can comprise a damperor other closable structure which reduces the size of openings 26 sothat a user can adjust the size and number of openings 26 to meet adesired dilution rate.

In one embodiment, feedwell 10 can be disposed such that it hangs justabove or slightly into a surface of fluid in sedimentation chamber 28.In a preferred embodiment, however, feedwell 10 is most preferablypositioned such that a significant portion of it is submerged within thefluid contained in sedimentation chamber 28 (see FIGS. 5-7 whichillustrate a most preferred placement of feedwell 10 with regard tosedimentation chamber 28).

Optionally, as best illustrated in FIG. 8, the bottom of the feedwellcan be formed from a plurality of individual sections 30 that can bewelded, bolted, or otherwise connected together. Sections 30 can be madefrom a urethane material, carbon or stainless steel, rubber-coatedsteel, rubber, fiber glass, aluminum, other metals, other composites,other plastics including but not limited to nylon, materials thatprovide desired wear and/or wear-resistance characteristics, materialsthat provide desired corrosion and/or corrosion resistancecharacteristics, combinations thereof and the like. Optionally, sections30 can have a wedge or pie shape, or any other shape which is capable offorming a bottom of a feedwell. Thus, when one or more sections 30 wearout, they can quickly and easily be replaced.

In one embodiment, feedwell bottom 14 preferably comprises a conical orotherwise downwardly-depending shape rather than a flat orupward-projecting shape as more typical feedwells have. Because of thedownward-depending shape of bottom 14, the total volume of feedwell 10is increased without requiring the diameter of feedwell 10 to beincreased. Thus, compared to an upwardly-projecting bottom of aconventional feedwell, embodiments of the present invention provide afeedwell having a similar overall weight and diameter, but withsignificantly more internal volume—thus increasing the amount ofretention, mixing, and floccule growth for the same size of footprint.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 9A, 9B, 10A, and 10B, in one embodiment,one or more structures 32 can be disposed on a lower portion of, ordirectly below feedwell 10. Structures, 32 preferably promote furtherfluid flow modifications to achieve desired objectives for particularapplications of feedwell 10. Although the one or more structures 32 cancomprise any shape which is useful for achieving a particular objectivefor a given application of feedwell 10, in one embodiment, structures 32can include, but are not limited to, an inverted cone, radially placedblades, combinations thereof, and the like. In one embodiment, one ormore structures 32 can be incorporated into or otherwise communicablycoupled to tube 22 disposed around hole 20, which can be disposed in acentral location of bottom 14 of feedwell 10 (see FIGS. 9A and 9B).

In an alternative embodiment, as is best illustrated in FIG. 10A, one ormore structures 32 can be disposed around tube 34 which extends upwardlythrough feedwell 10. In another embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 10B,tube 34, which extends upwardly through feedwell 10, can be communicablycoupled to tube 22 disposed around hole 20, which can be disposed in acentral location of bottom 14 of feedwell 10. Thus, in one embodiment,tube 34 can be disposed in an at least substantially central portion offeedwell 10. Optionally, as illustrated in FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 11, oneor more openings 38 can be provided such that an interior of tube 34 iscommunicably coupled to an exterior thereof, and thereby an interior oftube 34 can be communicably coupled to an interior of feedwell 10. Tube34 can be disposed within an interior of feedwell 10. In one embodiment,tube 34 can extend from the top of feedwell 10 to bottom 14 of feedwell10. The one or more openings 38 are most preferably disposed near anupper portion of tube 34, but can optionally be disposed at one or morelocations at any position along the length of tube 34 to promote furtherfluid flow modifications including feed dilution, fines capture, andrecirculation to achieve desired objectives for particular applications.Elongated member 36, which can comprise a rotating shaft, one or morehydraulic hoses, or any other elongated structure, can optionally passthrough or be disposed at least partially within tube 34.

As best illustrated in FIG. 11, bottom 14 of feedwell 10 can comprise anupwardly-projecting conical shape. As with other embodiments of feedwell10, tube 34 can extend from a position above a top of feedwell 10 andcan extend to bottom 14.

Although the invention has been described in detail with particularreference to these preferred embodiments, other embodiments can achievethe same results. Variations and modifications of the present inventionwill be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to coverin the appended claims all such modifications and equivalents. Theentire disclosures of all references, applications, patents, andpublications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference.

What is claimed is:
 1. A feedwell comprising: a sidewall; aconical-shaped bottom; a first opening disposed in a central portion ofsaid conical-shaped bottom; and a plurality of second openings disposedin said conical-shaped bottom of said feedwell.
 2. The feedwell of claim1 wherein each of said plurality of second openings comprises across-sectional area which is less than one-half of a cross-sectionalarea of said first opening.
 3. The feedwell of claim 1 wherein saidplurality of second openings are arranged such that a higherconcentration of said second openings are provided near said centralportion of said conical-shaped bottom than are provided near a peripheryof said conical-shaped bottom.
 4. The feedwell of claim 1 wherein saidplurality of second openings comprises at least three second openingsdisposed in said conical-shaped bottom of said feedwell.
 5. The feedwellof claim 1 wherein said first opening is configured to be an outlet ofsaid feedwell.
 6. The feedwell of claim 1 wherein said first opening iscoupled to a fluid-flow modification structure.
 7. The feedwell of claim6 wherein said fluid-flow modification structure comprises a conicalshape.
 8. The feedwell of claim 6 wherein said fluid-flow modificationstructure comprises a plurality of fins.
 9. The feedwell of claim 1comprising an opening in an upper portion of said sidewall.
 10. Thefeedwell of claim 9 wherein said opening in an upper portion of saidsidewall comprises an inlet of said feedwell.
 11. The feedwell of claim1 wherein said conical-shaped bottom comprises a flat or at leastsubstantially flat bottom nearest said sidewall, and the rest of saidconical-shaped bottom comprises a downwardly-depending conical shape.12. The feedwell of claim 1 wherein said conical-shaped bottom comprisesa downward-depending conical shape.
 13. The feedwell of claim 1 whereinsaid conical-shaped bottom comprises an upward-projecting conical shape.14. The feedwell of claim 1 wherein at least some of said secondopenings each comprise a corresponding tube that projects at leastsubstantially downward from said feedwell.
 15. A feedwell comprising: asidewall; a conical-shaped bottom; a plurality of openings disposed insaid conical-shaped bottom of said feedwell; said plurality of openingsarranged such that a higher concentration of said plurality of openingsare provided near a central portion of said bottom than are providednear a periphery of said bottom.
 16. The feedwell of claim 15 whereinsaid conical-shaped bottom comprises a downward-depending conical shape.17. The feedwell of claim 16 wherein said conical-shaped bottomcomprises a flat or at least substantially flat bottom nearest saidsidewall, and the rest of said conical-shaped bottom comprises adownwardly-depending conical shape.
 18. The feedwell of claim 15 whereinsaid conical-shaped bottom comprises an upward-projecting conical shape.19. The feedwell of claim 15 wherein said plurality of openingscomprises at least six openings disposed in said conical-shaped bottomof said feedwell.
 20. The feedwell of claim 15 further comprising aninlet in an upper portion of said sidewall.
 21. The feedwell of claim 15wherein at least some of said openings each comprise a correspondingtube that projects at least substantially downward from said feedwell.22. A method for dispersing contents of a feedwell into a sedimentationchamber, the method comprising: passing at least some first content fromwithin the feedwell through a central opening disposed in aconical-shaped bottom of the feedwell; passing at least some secondcontent from within the feedwell through a plurality of second openingsdisposed in the conical-shaped bottom of the feedwell.
 23. The method ofclaim 22 further comprising directing an incoming feed of content intothe feedwell by passing the incoming feed of content through an openingin an upper portion of a sidewall of the feedwell.
 24. The method ofclaim 22 further comprising regulating a flow rate of the at least somefirst content with a regulator that is communicably coupled to thecentral opening.
 25. The method of claim 22 further comprising modifyinga flow of the at least some first content with a fluid-flow modificationstructure comprising a plurality of fins.
 26. A method for dispersingcontents of a feedwell into a sedimentation chamber, the methodcomprising: passing at least some content from within the feedwellthrough a plurality of openings disposed in a conical-shaped bottom ofthe feedwell which plurality of openings are arranged closer togethernear a central portion of the conical-shaped bottom of the feedwell thanare arranged near a periphery of the conical-shaped bottom of thefeedwell.
 27. The method of claim 26 further comprising directing anincoming feed of content into the feedwell by passing the incoming feedof content through an opening in an upper portion of a sidewall of thefeedwell.
 28. The method of claim 26 further comprising regulating aflow rate of the at least some content with a regulator that iscommunicably coupled to at least one of the plurality of openings. 29.The method of claim 26 further comprising modifying a flow of the atleast some content with a fluid-flow modification structure comprising aplurality of fins.